Mind over matter
While watching the 2018 Super Bowl, O’Brien was enjoying the uniquely flavoured popcorn her fellow inmates had created. Inmates would often make their own popcorn flavours with the limited ingredients available to them. They’d use the kernels as a “blank canvas” to explore spice and flavour combinations.Article content
What started as a small enterprise that cost less than $100 is now a line of snacks available in about 700 stores throughout Canada, according to O’Brien.Article contentWhile incarceration might be the lowest time in someone’s life, O’Brien credits her mindset for pushing her toward growth and success.
She also took the time to read voraciously and reached out to her idols via snail mail. O’Brien felt the method was more personal and allowed her to stand out more, being “unconventional, yet authentic” as she states on her site. Lawrence Hill responded to her letters and offered to meet upon O’Brien’s release. So did former “Dragons’ Den” panelist and “The Wealthy Barber” author David Chilton.
that she still owns 100 per cent of Comeback Snacks and has been able to fund her company without any loans.Article contentHaving full control of Comeback Snacks allows O’Brien and Hall to work with partners and employees of their choosing. This means that she’s able to actively help those in difficult situations.